Where Rec is Wrecked

North Texas falls flat with some of America's worst cities for recreation

Person riding a bike through Marion Sansom Park

Parks and rec just don't score highly in North Texas.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Mountain Bikers' Association

North Texas simply doesn't cut it when it comes to recreation. That's according to WalletHub, which set out to find the U.S. cities that are the best (and worst) for public spaces and recreational facilities.

With sad little scores, four North Texas cities — including Fort Worth — rank among the worst in the country. Fort Worth comes in at No. 89 out of 100; Arlington (No. 90) and Irving (No. 97) fare worse, while Dallas (No. 85) does slightly better.

If some of this sounds familiar it's because WalletHub did a study in June, using much of the same criteria, that crowned Fort Worth one of the worst places to staycation. Things such as number of public golf courses, parks, hiking trails, water parks, shopping centers, and swimming pools were scored, along with nightlife options, zoos, museums, cultural attractions, affordable restaurants, coffee and tea shops, and beer gardens per capita.

In this study, quality of parks were weighted more heavily, and weather played a part. Regarding the former, Fort Worth ranks No. 51 out of 100. Entertainment and recreational facilities is our worst score, No. 94. Poor Arlington ranks No. 87 for quality of parks and No. 82 for costs.

The highest ranked Texas city is El Paso, at No. 34, and San Antonio is the worst, at No. 98.

There is one surprise at the top, which is mostly dominated by golf-heavy destinations: Cleveland comes in at No. 4, following Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; and Scottsdale, Arizona. Las Vegas finishes out the top five.

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Fun in the Fort

Fort Worth wrangles spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Stock Show

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Fort Worth knows how to have a good time. So says a WalletHub's new report on the most fun cities in America in 2024, which ranked Fort Worth No. 55 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Fort Worth was 35th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, but ranked No. 81 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. But many Fort Worth locals know the city is full of entertainment opportunities, family-friendly activities (especially during the holidays), top dining destinations, and more. Plus, it's home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo - which locals affectionately call "rodeo season."

Fort Worth performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 74 nationwide. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Fort Worth residents should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Fort Worth's next-door neighbor Arlington, home to one of the area's hidden-gem art museums, came in at No. 79 on the list.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are Dallas, (No. 31), El Paso (No. 53), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub rodeo

Where Rec is Wrecked

North Texas falls flat with some of America's worst cities for recreation

Fun in the Fort

Fort Worth wrangles spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S.

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